Memories of the Eagle
by Kyrrkhenen
Summary: This day, we remember. We remember all who fought and died for us. America does too. A Memorial Day fic, for all those who are serving or have served.


The bald eagle is a fierce creature, protecting its children and nurturing them while shielding them from what would wish to harm them. It soars on the currents of the sky, as close to the sun as any creature gets.

And then, there is the nation that wants to soar with the eagles, too.

America's pickup rumbled down a gravel road, sunlight sparkling off the lake by it. He turned and parked in the grass by the path when he reached a black wrought-iron fence. America walked up to the gate, placing his hand on a metal plaque, wiping a trail of dust down with his fingers.

_We miss you guys._

He gently pushed open the gate. Before him lay a field of the dead. Black, gray, and brown gravestones, polished to within an inch of their lives, stood as silent tributes to the souls that had left the world. Next to each of them was a bright American flag, a proud symbol that these courageous men and women had died serving their country. America sighed, thinking about all of the wars that he and his countrymen had fought and died acquiring, defending, and protecting one of the most important ideals: freedom.

Scenes of the war started flashing before his eyes.

_The Revolutionary War, 1776-1783_

"_The Shot Heard Round the World" the headlines blared that day. _

_Bloody trails in the snow, the bandages on his men's feet trailing along_

_The men, grinning cheekily, singing "Yankee Doodle" to spite the British_

_Two lanterns in Old North Church, singing out that the enemy was to come by sea_

_The sound of gunfire and British feet marching_

_All the brave men who rode and fought and marched for their beloved land _

_The cold snow, steadily dancing down from the heavens, never stopping_

_The cheers of the soldiers at Trenton and the cheers of the people lining the streets, hailing the victorious heroes_

_Britain turning away, his eyes red and burning_

_The War of 1812, 1812-1815_

_Trade restriction notices lined the streets, telling Americans that they could not trade with France_

_Tecumseh fighting wildly in the Battle of Tippecanoe_

_The White House and Capitol Building going up in flames, now just large bonfires_

"_Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes!" _

_The Civil War, 1861-1865_

America closed his eyes for this war; this war hurt him the most. Brother against brother, cousin against cousin, father against son. There were more American casualties in the Civil War than the two World Wars combined.

But he remembers.

_Grey and blue uniforms meeting on the battlefield, horses neighing, the sound of feet, men yelling, bodies falling_

_Georgia going up in flames_

_Men charging to their deaths_

_Ships sinking_

_Abraham Lincoln standing on a pedestal, calling out to the people_

_The cries of the free_

_Thousands of Confederate soldiers marching towards the stone wall, men taking place after place of fallen soldiers_

_The American flag still waving over Fort Sumtner, battered and bathed in the light of exploding cannons_

_Still standing_

_World War 1, 1914-1918_

_Other countries covered with dirt and grimy bandages, reaching out to him_

_Please_

_We need you_

_German troops marching down the streets of the helpless_

_Desperate eyes telling him to run_

_The Hood, the pride of the British fleet, sinking beneath the waves_

_The injured freezing in Europe's frigid winters_

_America pointing his pistol at the soldiers' heads, telling them to fight or die before reaching the field_

_His men's determined eyes, the last thing he sees before the gas envelopes everything_

_Running under fire, the sound of machine guns everywhere_

_Armistice Day, the war is won_

_World War II, 1939-1945_

_A man promising the rebirth of Germany_

_Nazi boots, shining black, clicking through the streets_

_The frightened eyes of Jews peering at him from the cracks in the windows_

_Cheering townspeople greeting the soldiers in tanks_

_Thousands of parachutes invisible in the night sky_

_London in ruins_

_Soldiers running up the beaches on D-Day_

_The mushroom cloud of the H-Bomb rising up from Japan_

_Purple veins covering the skin as radiation sickness sets in_

_America leaving flowers by Japan's bedside in a decimated hospital_

_I'm sorry_

_But I did what I had to do_

_The Korean War, 1950-1953_

_A dead infantryman, shot through the head with his hands tied behind his back_

_His men marching on, getting closer to the edge_

_Chinese soldiers filing across the border_

_U.S. soldiers straggling through the snow in their retreat_

_A child crying for the sun_

_But there are tears running down my face, too_

_Airstrikes_

_Come back, they tell us_

_Come back_

_America grimly taking a last look at the Koreas below_

_We are still divided_

_We will never be in balance_

_The Vietnam War, 1955-1975 _

_You will not take them, as yours, either_

_Unfamiliar land_

_Unfamiliar faces_

_Where is everyone?_

_I can't tell, there's too much smoke_

_We cannot sleep, for fear of what will find us in our nightmares_

_Yet we are more afraid of living_

_We have to pull out again_

_People shooting from unknown places, in the jungle_

_Tunnels below, leading to our enemy_

_So many lives…for what purpose?_

America's mind flashed on the Twin Towers, burning, as if in slow motion. The sound of his own body hitting the pavement, white-hot pain, lights, voices, and blackness, enveloped him again as the American people's spirits crumbled to the ground like the Twin Towers that day.

But like 9/11, we will never forget.

Like that day, we will always honor our courageous men and women.

America, who had since clutched the nearest tombstone in pain, straightened up, wiped his nose, and looked forward.

Memorial Day is not a day of only sadness. It is mostly a day of pride, with a sense of duty that comes from these citizens serving our country and dying for it. This day is also about love for our country, and respect for these people who were willing to go and fight for it. And now, their service shall be honored, like an eagle taking wing.

America gave one last salute and walked out of the cemetery.

A/N:  _Hey guys! I know that there are many other wars, but I am detailing the most prominent ones in my mind. I also know that there is another war going on right now. But I just started writing about the Twin Towers and this ending came to mind and than bleh. Maybe another time. _

_Please say a prayer or even just-I don't know-think about the sacrifices that these men made. And sorry about making this story so sad, but hey, gotta get the message across. Wishing you a good Memorial Day. _


End file.
